IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge

Round #2, Mid Ohio Sports Car Course

I arrived Thursday night after working nonstop since Tuesday night trying to catch up on Analog Man orders and paperwork. Our spot in the paddock was moved from the far corner to half way closer to the pregrid area, a nice large area for all our cars including Wolf Henzler's Speedvision GT 911 GT3 cup. Our star drivers were in front next to Wolf - Ricardo Imery and Lawson Aschenbach, with Paul Orwicz in the last front spot as he did very well at the 1st GT3 cup race, avoiding the bad driving which caused so many of us problems.

In back we had the rest of us, same lineup as in Atlanta - Keith Alexander, Shawn Price, Russell Smith, Myself, and guests sharing our tent Tom Pank and Gennady Soykher. Brent Martini, who had won the first race, was now excluded as it was obvious he was a professional, having been a top driver of a Pro Ferrari 360 team along with Cort Wagner. So it looked like Lawson and Ricardo would be the really fast ones and it proved true all the way to the end.

Practice 1

This session was on Friday morning. I had hoped the car would be handling better after an alignment while I was back home. I was able to turn consistent low 1:31s at the Monday practice, was hoping to break 1:30 in this event. My car was still up on the alignment rack when I arrived as it was raining and they were working on another car instead... also tires were messed up, I could not find my two sets of dry tires. I wanted to use a good used set for practice and a new set for qualifying and the race. We finally found a set of 4 matching tires that would work for practice but one of my others was missing so we'd mount my 4th new tire on a random wheel. The first practice I thought I had some good times but only in the low 1:32s. I came in to check pressures and get some clear track but it did not help. I ended up 19th out of 29 cars, with eight cars within a second in front of me and Shawn just behind me. Shawn was not feeling well at all but trying to do his best. Ricardo and Lawson were 1-2 running mid 1:28s, with Tom Pank #3 with a mid 1:29. Keith and Paul were in the mod 1:30s with Russell in the mid 1:31s. I needed to go a lot faster. Below I was trying to go faster, was able to get some air under the right front tire, click on it for a larger picture:

Practice 2

On Friday afternoon, I was able to get down to a 1:31.6, still not as fast as I was going on Monday. Actually moved down one spot to 20th position. Ricardo and Lawson somehow shaved another second off, with mid 1:27s! Tom was 1.5 seconds back still in 3rd. Russel also shaved off a second, with a 1:30.4. I was hoping new tires would help.

Here I am entering MADNESS, with Chris Wally following. Click either for a larger version.

Qualifying

For qualifying on Saturday morning, the new Michelins went on and I had high hopes to shave some time. I had radios in my car now and Johnny Five trackside to check temperatures and tell me lap times. We were not supposed to stay out long, to conserve tires for the race. Ricardo pulled off an incredible 1:26.7 and Lawson next with a 1:27.3 followed by Tony Massari with a high 1:27 and Tom with a mid 1:28. Keith shaved off over a second for an awesome 5th place time with a high 1:28. Shawn was nowhere to be found until he was finally phoned by his friend and Farnbacher head of operations Peter Goebel. Shawn was still in bed at the hotel as most of us were heading to pregrid, he raced to the track while his mechanic brought his car to grid. I saw him on the golf cart heading to his car just before we started, amazingly he made it to the track in just a few minutes, still sick. Somehow he shaved TWO seconds off his best time with a 1:29 flat on his 4th lap, for 7th place, just ahead of Paul! He came in shortly thereafter to save his tires and relax.

I stayed out for most of the session, coming in for tire pressures. I was pulling some decent 1:30 laps finally, but REALLY wanted to get into the 29s. I could not quite get there, finishing with a best of 1:30.2 on my 8th lap, about a second behind Paul. On one lap, just ahead of Tom, I tried to get on the gas early in the keyhole, but guess it was a little TOO early as my car jumped sideways and I straddled the curb on the outside, banging up my undercarriage and brake ducts. Smell of burning grass from my exhaust too. Hey Tom, I want that video! I ended up 15th out of 28 cars, with Russell just behind me and Gennaday another second back. Mark Hupfer, who had come in third in the first race, was just ahead of me. Farnbacher-Loles had six of the top eight cars... wish I was one of them!

Race

Sunday it was looking like rain, UGH!!!! But I had ran in the wet last week with the Porsche Club, while many others had not. So it could help... but I still don't like racing in the rain as the chance of an incident is much higher. We put some green tape where my windshield trim should be, for aerodynamics and to help my mechanic see the car. Did not last too long in the rain!

We would be starting on the back straight, like the SCCA does, but IMSA does not allow passing before you cross the start line. At least in theory... We followed the pace car and were told we'd have a few pace laps to get used to the wet. We had more than that, which was nice to feel the track conditions. Finally the pace car pulled in but I did not know... I was also not told that we were starting in single file. Our crews were supposed to know this but not sure ours did. Coming out of the keyhole, cars started passing me before I even knew the flag was green. Ugh. Ahead of me was a cloud of water vapor and rapidly disappearing cars, I tried to catch up to them but could not see the braking area so slowed down way before the braking point. Luckily only those few cheaters who passed early got by me and I was able to get up to speed once I could see. By looking at the PASSINGS file on the IMSA website, I could easily see who passed me before the start, as nobody passed me after the legal start on the first lap. And also it was easy to see the cheaters as their first lap times were 2-3 seconds faster than the leaders! That could only happen by accelerating well before the start. The cars that started behind me and Russell but passed us before the start were, Steve Valentinetti, Mitchell Bender (who punted me in Atlanta!!!!!), Joe Kunz, and Marty Flaska.

Of the four cars that passed before the start, only Flaska and Valentinetti ended up ahead of us by the end due to incidents. If there is a rule, they should enforce it, they should have been moved back behind me and Russell, and the other two should at least been made aware of what they did and watched more carefully. But IMSA said it was too late when I told them about it from back home. I was on my way to the airport as soon as I got off the track and didn't really want to bother anyone at the race about this, at it did not really matter much. The start took some of the fun out of the race, gave me the feeling of being robbed with nothing that could be done about it. Here is a picture before the start, with Valentinetti still behind me.

Back to the race, soon Gennady Soykher was pushing me, after a few turns I decided it best to let him by as I thought he was a little dangerous and would likely take himself or someone else ahead of me out. He drove a fine race though, with no problems and ended up 10th. I soon had a great battle with Phil DeAngelis who started from the back (no qualifying time). He finally got by me for good when I went a little too hot into turn 1 and lost momentum. On the last lap Mitch Bender was going very slowly, I smiled when I drove by him. Russell was close behind me at the end, I finished 14th out of 27, getting two points (hurray). Flaska and Valentinetti were just ahead of DeAngelis. Lawson won the race, repassing Ricardo on the outside of the keyhole turn on the last lap! Paul finished another clean #6, with Keith 8 and Shawn 9th.

This is probably my last GT3 Cup Challenge race this year, as the first race was a disaster and this one was not very rewarding. I will concentrate on SCCA GT2 class nationals which I think will work out much better.

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